What's Love Anyway?
by Omnitrix 12
Summary: This is kind of an experiment for me; instead of an ongoing story, this will be a collection of one-shots featuring Balto characters in an anthro universe dealing with love in various forms and settings. Expect surprises, and let me know what you'd like to see! Rated T to be safe; genres subject to change with new chapters.
1. Protection

**Hey, say hello to Part One of "What's Love Anyway?"**

 **This project is kind of an experiment for me: instead of my usual style of material, these will be a collection of short one-shots generally focusing on the same or close to the same cast of characters (I got the idea from a Star Fox Christmas fanfic). The situations will vary, but essentially all the ideas I have so far are companions to, deleted scenes from, or teasers of a series of longer fanfics I have in the development stage. Also, in keeping with Valentine's Day, all the stories will deal with some type or aspect of love and with couples, though the two will not always be directly linked. THIS PROJECT IS SET IN AN ANTHRO-VERSE (sorry; wanted to make sure you were still reading), meaning that the characters appear in humanoid form like they did in Balto's Treasure Island, Road Rovers, etc.**

 **I plan to post a new chapter each year, hopefully sometime in the week leading up to Valentine's Day. I may change the genre to match the latest chapter when appropriate, but the above description should fit everything I put here. I'm rating the project T to be on the safe side. (In case you're wondering, there will be some material which may surprise those familiar with my other stories).**

 **This story takes place around Balto and Jenna's second wedding anniversary, and is set sometime in the eighties or so. It's not the first of my ideas chronologically, but the themes involved seemed appropriate with the way things are right now in the world. Anyway, enjoy!**

Jenna slipped on the dress and looked at herself in the mirror, frowning. She didn't remember it feeling so tight; it felt as if she could hardly breathe or move. _Have I been letting myself go,_ she wondered, turning this way and that, _or...?_

It shouldn't be having that result; not this early. She knew it didn't really matter; Balto would love her even if she put on twenty pounds or more. He might not be thrilled about it, but he'd still love her. All the same, she did want to stay looking good for her husband, girth or no girth. _Besides,_ she thought, _this isn't regular weight gain._

She took off the dress and looked for another. As nice as it looked on her, she'd never be able to enjoy herself if she felt like she was wearing a straightjacket. She chose a blue one instead; not as slimming, but much more comfortable, and close to the black one on the list Balto most liked to see her in. She tried it on and studied herself.

 _Now, let's see,_ she mused, selecting a diamond necklace from her jewelry box. It looked good against the blue backdrop of her dress, and would go well with the shoes.

As she continued to tinker with her look, she tried not to think about what had unfolded at the doctor's office.

 _"_ _I wonder what Balto will say," Jenna said when the doctor told her she had one in the oven. She was nervous even though she knew she didn't need to worry; kind of like her wedding day, as she would later reflect._

 _The doctor frowned a little. "Worried he might take it the wrong way?" he ventured._

 _"_ _No, no," Jenna answered, shaking her head earnestly. "We've been hoping for this ever since we got married, but... well, his hours got cut at work recently." Then she shrugged. "But his boss promised that wouldn't last long. We'll make it work."_

 _"_ _Hmm," the doctor mused. "I suppose so, but you do have other options."_

 _She was confused. "What do you mean?"_

 _"_ _You could put off having kids," he answered, noting something on his clipboard. "If this is a bad time..."_

 _"_ _You just said I already... had..." Jenna trailed off, her ears falling back in shock at what she was hearing._

 _"_ _You don't have to decide that right away," he went on. "Think about it and let me know your decision at your next appointment. Now there are a few-"_

 _Jenna stood up and retrieved her purse. "I've already decided," she answered, heading for the door._

 _The doctor looked up. "Mrs. Williams, we have a few more things to-"_

 _"_ _I'll find out about them from my new doctor," she answered, refusing to even look at him. "I'm putting off my next appointment – permanently."_

 _The doctor wisely decided not to follow her as she headed back to the waiting room. With the frame of mind she was in right then, even a mugger or murderer wouldn't have dared mess with her._

 _"_ _Oh, Jenna," the receptionist called, "Could you remind your husband he has an appointment here in two weeks?"_

 _It was all Jenna could do to maintain her usual demeanor as she answered. "I will," she promised, "but when I tell him what Doctor D'Nollah said, you probably won't want him to come."_

A knock sounded at the door. "Can I come in," asked the familiar voice, "or is this still a construction zone?"

Jenna smiled and rolled her eyes. "Come in," she called.

Balto entered, and she could no more help noticing his appreciative gaze than he could help giving it as he walked over to his own dresser in search of his favorite tie. Then he noticed the black dress on the floor. "Not in the mood for black?" he ventured.

She shook her head, remembering that he had bought her that dress for her birthday the first year they were married. "No, it just felt a little tight this time," she answered vaguely. "I think I put on a pound or two."

"Lucky me," he chuckled. "All the more to love."

 _Just you wait,_ she thought.

Jenna did her best to stay in the moment as they headed out for dinner, and for the most part she pulled it off. She noticed and turned up the volume on the radio a few notches when "Cleaning This Gun" came on – she and Balto often jokingly called it their song, though they both preferred "Love Story." She was aware enough of the present to be duly surprised when Balto pulled up to Red Lobster – a decision Balto attributed to some generous gifts from her parents and his godfather. It wasn't easy, though, and as they sat down to wait for their order the lack of distractions seemed to funnel her thoughts back to the pup growing inside her. She was surprised when Balto laughed at one of her mechanical answers.

"What?" she asked, trying to remember what she had said.

"You said you wanted ice cream for an appetizer," he chuckled. "I thought you were worried about your waist."

That had been the wrong thing to say. "I'm not fat," she argued, her face growing hot, "and I wasn't serious about the ice cream." Part of her was upset with him, but she knew it wasn't fair to think that way; after all, he didn't know, and she _had_ brought up her figure earlier. That was what made the other part – the one annoyed with herself – so frustrating: deep down, she knew it was right. She had been planning to tell him that night as they got ready for bed, or maybe the next morning as a kind of mini after-party to follow up on their anniversary celebration. It had been so romantic in her mind, but now she felt almost trapped, and she knew he must feel pretty cornered too.

Balto confirmed her suspicion as his ears leaned back and his smile fell into a surprised frown. "I'm sorry. I... I never meant to say it like that."

She shook her head. "It's fine," she answered. "I'm not just- I mean _just not_ myself tonight," she amended.

He nodded understandingly. "I know, my work cut has you out of it. I don't like it either, but we'll be alright." He reache out and took her by the hand. "Don't worry about it. We're together, we've been together for two years, and we've got a long time head of us. Why be upset over a small pay cut?"

Jenna smiled. Even after two full years, feeling his hand on hers still gave her butterflies. Yet the moment was hindered by her worries. "I've been thinking about picking up some extra work," she suggested. "Maybe a part-time job on the side, just until yours picks back up."

"Oh, Jenna, you don't have to do that," he countered. He didn't mind not being the sole breadwinner for their household, but he did like having Jenna there when he got home; he always said that the thought of her face made his work seem lighter.

"We do have bills to pay," she reasoned. "Besides, you work hard all day. You deserve some backup." Back when they were still planning their wedding they had decided to try to get by just on what he made whenever possible so they could put her earnings aside for leaner times... and for when they started a family. Now that both of those had come along, Jenna was convinced they needed more income.

Balto shook his head. "Jen, I appreciate that, but I'm fine, and-"

Suddenly, over at the next table, a greyhound stood up and tapped his fork against a half-full glass, calling for attention. "Excuse me, everyone. Excuse me." He looked around to make sure all eyes were on him, then beckoned for a female greyhound who had been sitting across from him to stand up. He put his arm around her and they both smiled.

"I'd like to announce," he called out, "that Shannon here has just agreed to marry me."

Applause broke out throughout the room, and several customers raised their glasses in salute. Jenna couldn't help smiling at the sight of the happy couple, but then a worriesome thought came to her: what if Balto did something like that when she broke the news to him? She felt as if she might die if he did that. She was just congratulating herself on her discretion in holding the news until they were alone when...

"What's wrong?"

Jenna blinked, clearing away the distracting thoughts. Balto was looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"Nothing," she answered too quickly.

He frowned. "Jen, I haven't been married to you for two years without knowing when something's got you upset. What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "I don't..." then she stopped, and she knew why. She _did_ want to tell him. Even the part of her that was afraid he'd get right up and tell the world wanted to tell him, if only to get it over with. Deep down, though, she just wanted him to know. She'd been practically glowing inside earlier just thinking about it, and she wanted him to feel that way too.

"Alright," she said quietly, "but promise not to make a scene of it."

He looked wary, but he nodded. "Okay."

She leaned across the table. He leaned over too. She put her muzzle next to his ear and whispered, "When I said I'm just not myself tonight, I really meant not just myself."

She could almost hear his eyes pop as his mouth fell open and his breathing stopped. "Jenna," he asked, "do you mean...?"

"I'm pregnant," she answered.

For a heart-stopping second, she thought he might forget his promise. Then he laughed. "I guess I can see why you wanted it kept quiet," he admitted, glancing to the newly engaged couple across the room. "We wouldn't want to upstage them."

She shook her head. She was going to say that wasn't her reason (although it wasn't a bad one); say that she had been afraid it might embarrass her, but then she stopped. She wasn't embarrassed, just like she hadn't been afraid in the doctor's office. Nervous, yes, but not embarrassed and not afraid. She was his wife, she was carrying his pup, and she was proud of it. He was her knight; he had been ever since that day in high school when she'd been in a tight corner until he backed her up.

Instead of the answer she had been thinking of, she drew back just enough to look into his eyes. Then she kissed him. "I just hope she's as happy as I am right now," she told him.

He smiled, and just before leaning in for another kiss he added, "That guy can't be as happy as I am, but I hope he's close."

Next to them, a female cleared her throat. "Sorry to interrupt," said a Cocker Spaniel, "but your appetizers are ready. Do you want to order your main courses now, or later?"

"Oh." Balto sat back down in his seat, blushing a little. Then a mischievous grin appeared on his face. "I'll wait," he answered, "but could you get my wife an order of ice cream with a side of pickles?"

The following morning, Balto awoke in a slow manner which called to mind the sensation of drifting to the surface out of a warm lake on a sunny day. As soon as he looked at Jenna, he remembered the news from last night and caressed her stomach with his fingertips. _Boy or girl?_ he wondered. He wondered a lot of things as he stroked, unaware that his attention was waking Jenna up.

"Morning," she said softly, startling him out of his reverie.

He jumped. "Jenna! I… morning."

She giggled. "A penny for your thoughts?"

He sighed contentedly. "Wondering if it's a boy or a girl," he mused. "I was hoping for a boy, but now I kind of hope it's a girl."

"Why?" she asked, turning a little more toward him and propping her head up with her arm.

He shrugged. "Well, at least one of us would have some idea how to raise a girl… except you had two brothers, so I guess that's a moot point."

Jenna knew all too well why that would worry Balto; having lost his parents at an early age, he'd always lacked a lot of role modeling. She smiled, turned his face from the ceiling towards herself, and gave him a peck on the lips. "You'll do fine, whichever it is."

As they continued to talk, she remembered her conversation with the doctor the previous week. She hated to spoil the moment, but decided she'd better get it over with. He took it well... for a wasp.

"He wanted you to what?!" he demanded. "Why that-"

"Careful," Jenna warned, patting her stomach. "Not in front of the baby."

Balto frowned, trying to remember that his wife's glibness was born of having had more time to get over the creep's idea. Taking a few deep breaths, he went to the phone and dialed.

"Balto, don't say something youll reget," Jenna warned.

"As long as it doesn't land me in jail, I'll regret nothing," he replied. Then, into the phone, "Hello. Yes, this is Balto Williams. I have an appointment next week, and I'd like to discuss it with Doctor Belljar." He waited, then spoke again. "Yes, hello. About that appointment, I have something to tell you: _over my dead body."_ With that, he hung up the phone.

"Feel better?" asked Jenna.

He smiled. "A little."

The phone rang again, and Balto groaned. "If that's him again…"

Jenna gently pushed him aside and picked up the phone. "I'll check. Hello?" She paused. "Oh yes, he's right here." She put a hand over the mouthpiece. "Mr. Bighams."

Balto took the phone. Mr. Bighams was his boss. "Hello?"

"Hello, Balto. I know you asked for today off, but we just got a big contract and we need all the hands we can get on it. I know you're feeling an hours crunch, so if you're interested then you should get here fast."

The news took Balto completely off guard. "Just a second," he said, covering the phone and quickly telling Jenna. There was a regretful look in his eyes as he added, "I know we need all the money we can get right now, but…"

She shook her head. "I'm fine. We can catch up later."

Balto nodded and returned his attention to the phone. "Yeah, I can be there in about an hour."

"Good. If this pans out like I'm hoping it will, it could spell the end of your time cut. I'll expect you soon. Goodbye."

"Bye," Balto replied, and hung up. He turned to Jenna with a shrug. "You just never know, do you?" he asked.

 _"(Love) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13:7_

 **Well, that's Part One. What do you think?**


	2. Saying No

**Hey everyone, thanks for the feedback on chapter one. Because of the glowing reaction, I decided to expand this beyond just Valentine's Day - because, after all, there's more to love than romance and more holidays about it than Valentine's Day.**

 **To begin with, I'm posting this chapter for Mother's Day. Yes, I realize it's over a week early, but I wanted to get it out sooner rather than later for an important reason: I wanted people who read it to have time to think about their own mothers, and how to properly thank them this May 8.**

 **I'll save the rest of the side info for the end, so happy reading!**

The bustle of a Saturday morning filled a Haul-Mart as four canids strode down a main aisle. One was a wolf-husky with brown fur, yellow eyes, and a build slightly on the short side – not that he minded. To his left strode a slim, immaculately groomed red-and-cream husky – his wife. Just behind them walked their son, a teenage husky with colors like his mother's with a touch of his father's shade and a figure well on his way to being a little taller than either of his parents. Meanwhile, on the father's right – carefully kept within arm's reach – was a girl pup with colors like her father's but warmer, and enough enthusiasm for all four of them.

"Can we pick out my swimsuit first?" she asked eagerly.

"Hey, calm down Aleu," chuckled her father, Balto. "The pool party's not until Wednesday, remember?"

Kodi snorted humorously. "You know she's not going to stop until she gets it," he pointed out. Then, changing the subject, he added, "Mind if I head over to the sports section? I need to replace some of my track gear."

"Go ahead," answered the husky, Jenna. "I'm sure the two of us can handle Aleu."

She might not have said that if she had known what the next thirty minutes held in store.

The remaining three, much to Aleu's delight, did go to the clothes section first - not because of Aleu's pestering, but because it happened to be right at the front. As long as they were there, Jenna elected to get a few things as well, leaving Balto to keep an eye on Aleu. It didn't take long for trouble to show its face.

"What about this one?" asked Aleu, holding up a hanger.

Balto turned and just stopped, facing a true father's nightmare. Aleu was holding up a two-piece that would have been questionable on a girl twice her age. At some point later he would wonder what kind of sick person would even design a swimsuit like that in pup sizes, but at the moment he was too busy just being horrified.

Aleu, puzzled at his pause, waved a hand. "Hello, Earth to Papa? What do you think?"

He found his voice as his brain and mouth, strangers a moment ago, formed an alliance. "Absolutely not," he answered with great emphasis, folding his ears flat against his head.

She frowned. "Why not?" she asked.

This time, Balto's brain and mouth weren't so harmonious. His mouth wanted to say, "Because I won't have boys seeing my daughter is something that skimpy." His brain pointed out that, as valid as that was, it would be bound to spark an argument about his "babying" her, which he hated almost as much as arguing with Jenna. To make matters worse, disputes on that particular subject always made him worry that maybe he was a tad overprotective, having never had the chance to see his parents model how to raise a daughter.

In the interest of not just standing there in silence, Mouth and Mind reached a compromise: call in the expert. Balto raised himself up on his toes, looked out over the racks, and spotted that familiar patch of red fur. "Jenna," he called, keeping his tone calm so that it sounded as if he were dealing with a simple phone call, "It's for you."

Jenna broke off from what she was doing and made her way through the displays of clothing. "What is it?" she asked.

Balto stepped aside for her. "A job for Wonder Woman," he replied, trying unsuccessfully to lighten the mood. "I thought you'd be better to handle it."

She hooked him by the elbow as he started to leave. "Where are you going?"

He turned back, looking just a little guilty. "We do have a schedule to keep," he reasoned. "One of us should take care of the groceries in case this takes a while – and it usually does with Aleu," he added under his breath.

Jenna was frowning as she let him go. "You owe me," she told him, only half-meaning it.

He patted her on the arm. "I'll make it up to you," he promised before disappearing among the racks.

She sighed and turned her attention back to her daughter, who was now holding her selection behind her back. "Okay, what's this about?"

Aleu wore a sour expression as she brought it out. "Papa doesn't like this swimsuit," she explained.

Jenna was only half as stunned as her husband had been, but she was still taken aback. "Where's the swimsuit?" she asked.

"Mom," Aleu protested, now folding her ears down as Balto had done, "everyone's wearing these. Besides, I've seen the laundry; I know you have things like this."

"Underwear," Jenna pointed out, "not beach wear."

"It's a pool party," Aleu countered, trying to play a technicality. "I wouldn't be wearing it to a beach."

"No." Jenna took the suit and hung it back up. "Why would you even want that one?"

"Because," Aleu argued, "everyone wears these kinds of bathing suits these days."

Jenna shook her head. "Well apparently everyone doesn't have parents who care."

The pup folded her arms defiantly. "What's the worst that could happen?" she argued.

For a moment, Jenna froze. If Balto had been terrified into paralysis by the swimsuit, she was impacted no less by that question. It took her a long moment to regain her sense of calm.

"Aleu, there's a lot of things you don't know about, and some of them I hope you never do." She rubbed her upper arm uneasily. "Just take my word for it that you need to be careful."

"Why?" asked Aleu.

"Because..." Jenna stopped and sighed. This wasn't the time or place for horror stories; she silently prayed there would never be one. "Because in a few years, you're going to start drawing boys' attention. You might be drawing it now and not know it."

Aleu didn't understand her mother's demeanor, but she knew enough to know the basic idea of what her mother meant. "What's wrong with that?" she asked. "You draw Papa's attention all the time, and neither one of you worries when Dusty dresses to impress Kodi."

"She's not my daughter," Jenna pointed out, "but I'd worry if I saw her resorting to something like this." At least now she had recovered from the brunt of Aleu's question. "As for me and your father, that's different. We're married, for one thing, and we got there by understanding each other. I know what kind of man he is."

Something about the way Jenna voiced this last part made Aleu wonder. "How many kinds are there?"

Jenna took a deep breath. "Two kinds," she answered. "Come on; let's find you a swimsuit while I explain.

"Some of the boys you'll meet in life," she explained as she and Aleu began sorting through the racks, "are the kind you'll want paying attention to you: good, decent; the kind of boys who will respect you as a person, the way your father does with me or Kodi does with Dusty – and I know you've seen them," she added, mindful of Aleu's habit of snooping. "Not all boys are like that, though; some will only be interested in your looks and what they can get out of you. If you wear things that draw attention just to your body, you're making it a lot easier for them and a lot harder for the good ones."

"How is wearing a bikini going to make it easier for the jerks?" asked Aleu. "It's not like I'd go out with just any guy. If someone tries to touch me, I'll just bite them."

Jenna knew Aleu would do it, but she shook her head. "Males are a lot more visual than we are," she explained. "What they see can have a lot more impact on them than it would on us, especially if they're the kind you should avoid."

"If it's different for them than it is for us, how do you know what it's like for them?" Aleu was nothing if not quick to catch a hole in an argument.

Jenna, however, was one step ahead. "Because I'm a mother," she countered calmly, "and I got to be one by knowing a few things about the male mind."

Aleu hated it when her mother caught her like that. "Okay, so that explains the first part," she admitted, picking out a less showy two-piece. "What about making it harder for the good guys?"

Jenna studied the pick and shook her head. "When your father and I started dating," she explained, "I got a lot of attention from the wrong kind of boys – and I wasn't inviting it either," she added as Aleu looked up at her dubiously. "In the end your father was the only one who got past them, and even then we had to meet secretly for a while."

"Kinda like Romeo and Juliet, huh?" asked Aleu.

"Hmm," Jenna mused. "More like Midsummer Night's Dream, but you don't know that one. The point is, your father had to work hard just to get near me _without_ my trying to attract the wrong kind of boys. If I'd worn immodest clothes like some of my friends did, I don't think even he would have stood a chance. He probably would have just decided I was too shallow to see past his outside, and we never would have ended up together."

Aleu thought about that as she found a bathing suit of which Jenna finally approved. She had to admit that her mother was making a lot of sense, but her stubborn side still wanted to be right. "I still think it's unfair," she argued. "Why do I always have to be the one whose mom has the strictest rules?"

Jenna sighed. "Because I love you," she answered. "I'm willing to do what's best for you in the long run, even if that means you don't like me very much for a while. It's what my parents did for me, and even when they were wrong I'm glad they did. And just like they did, I'll relax the rules – your father and I both will – once we're satisfied that you can be responsible."

"Meaning once I start picking clothes you like without you saying it, you'll stop making me pick the ones you like."

The husky shook her head, exasperated with her daughter and yet unable to help smiling a little, at least inwardly, as she thought of some of the headaches she'd given her parents when she was young. "Each generation's battle," her father had called it.

"Even grown-ups need some help staying on the right road sometimes," she admitted. An idea occurred to her. "I'll tell you what," she said. "There's a story about Papa that might help this make more sense. Once we catch up with him I'll see if he minds me telling it."

Aleu was puzzled. Balto usually didn't mind Jenna telling family stories without getting his okay first. "What kind of story?" she asked.

Jenna smiled. "You'll see."

The two of them soon tagged up with Balto. Kodi was busy elsewhere in the mall, having bumped into Dusty and been asked to give his opinion on a few things in another store.

"Now see," Aleu complained, "that's what I'm talking about. Kodi gets to go hang out – with a girl," she added pointedly, "and no one questions it. If a guy wanted my opinion on something in another store, you'd be watching me like a hawk."

"You would tell him to get lost," Jenna chuckled, hoping that Aleu would stay that way as long as possible. "Balto," she asked, "would you mind if I told Aleu about the Bog Incident?"

Balto looked puzzled. "Why would I?" he asked with a shrug. "She was there, right?"

Aleu made a face. "What's to tell anyway?" she added. "I fell in a swamp and got a lecture about staying on the walkway."

Jenna laughed. "Actually, I was thinking of the _other_ Bog Incident."

A look of pain and nausea, mixed with a little bit of dread, passed over Balto's face. He slumped with embarrassment. "Oh, _that_ Bog Incident. Jen, you promised never to tell the kids about that."

Aleu was immediately all ears; a fact not lost on Jenna. "I know," she admitted, "but it's for Aleu's own good, and this way you won't have to worry about my dad spilling it."

"That's true," Balto admitted. Even though he got along well enough with his in-laws, he often dreaded what Buck might say at family get-togethers. His frown didn't decrease by much, though. "Are you sure you're not just getting even for me sticking you with the swimsuit dispute?"

"I hadn't thought of it that way," Jenna admitted, propping up her chin on a knuckle, "but I'd be willing to let you off giving me a foot rub tonight."

Balto sighed. "Okay, but let's get the shopping done and grab a bite first. If I have to swallow my pride, I might as well have some salami to go with it."

Aleu had never been so helpful on a shopping trip as she was for the rest of that one, and as soon as they had gotten their orders at a sandwich outlet in the store, she demanded to know about "the other Bog Incident."

"Well," Jenna explained, hiding a smile, "you remember that your Bog Incident happened when we took you and Kodi on that wetlands trail at the nature center."

Aleu nodded. "Yeah, so?"

"Well, there was a reason we told both of you to stay on the marked path – and not just because of all the signs saying so. Back before you were born – before we were even married, in fact – your father wanted to show me some of the sights on that same trail. The difference was, he didn't bring someone along who knew the territory, and..." she trailed off. "Balto, why don't you tell the rest?"

Balto grimaced. "I was trying to find a spot with a good view of the beaver lodge," he explained. "I'd heard there was a heron around that liked to perch on it at sunset, and that when the sun caught the bird's feathers just right it looked like the phoenix lighting up. Naturally, I wanted to share a sight like that with your mother. The problem was, I got overconfident, went too close to the edge... and I fell in, just like you did."

Aleu laughed so hard she got hiccups. She remembered her tumble – a world class face-first flop – and the thought of her papa taking a similar fall was too much. "You-hic... did?" she asked.

"Yes, and I took twice as long to get out because I didn't have someone to reach down and pull me up." Reaching out and pinching Aleu's mouth shut until she stopped hiccuping, he explained, "That's why I didn't want you or Kodi leaving the trail when it was your turn," he explained. "I wanted you both to be able to enjoy the fun – all the sights and sounds – but I also didn't want you to have to deal with the not-so-fun parts, like getting covered in pond weeds and having your shoes squish for the rest of the day."

Aleu scowled. "Not to mention the smell," she added. "My classmates were calling me 'Swamp Thing' for a month."

"Well you see," Balto went on, "That's why your mother and I sometimes tell you, 'Don't do that,' or 'don't go there.' It's not that we don't want you to enjoy the good things; it's that we know some things that look good aren't, and we don't want those to ruin the ones that are. Understand?"

Much to her chagrin, Aleu did understand. "Yes, Papa," she answered. She put her elbow on the table – something her parents often chided her not to do – and propped her chin in her hand. Despite her annoyance, she did understand – and even found herself feeling a little better about the bathing suti she _had_ gotten. _I guess the one I got isn't so bad anyway,_ she decided. Then something dawned on her. "Hey, you said no one else was around to pull you out, so how'd Mom find out about it?"

Jenna, who had just recovered from the first part of the story, snorted a little and covered her mouth. "Oh, _that's_ a story," she laughed. "I found out because Balto _was_ going to take me out to that same trail that evening. Instead he came to my house after dark to explain that he couldn't take me anywhere until he got the seat of his car cleaned because it smelled of mud and rotted duckweed. You should have seen my dad's face; I never saw an expression like that."

"Yeah, that would be because he knew I was planning to propose on that date," Balto countered, hoping to recover some of his dignity. In response to Jenna's surprised silence, he added, "It took me another month to work up the nerve after that."

His wife stared at him. "Why did you never tell me that?" she asked.

He blushed. "Would you?" he countered simply. "Besides, you said yes when I did ask; the time I didn't didn't seem so important."

There was nothing Jenna could say to that logic. "Well, I'm glad you did tell me."

Just as they were getting lost in the moment, Aleu made a gagging sound. "Do you mind not looking at each other like that while I'm eating?" she complained.

Balto laughed as Jenna's face soured. "Just be glad you have parents who still do," he told the pup. "Anyway, that's the last time I took that trail alone – especially since it was more fun with two. All we want is for you to handle life like that. Make mature choices, think before you do something, and know when to listen to an expert."

Just then his phone rang, the tone identifying a call from his son. "Hi Kodi, what's...?" he trailed off into puzzled silence as he listened, his brows knitting and his mouth curling into a confused frown. At last he moved to hang up, then thought better and put the phone aside. "Speaking of asking for help," he remarked, "it sounds like Kodi's gotten himself stuck too."

"What's wrong?" asked Jenna.

He shook his head. "Ah, nothing you need to worry about," he assured her. "I'll go find him and Dusty and be back before you know it. Think you can handle things from here?"

Jenna nodded, and Balto took off at a brisk walk.

"I can't wait to tell Kodi about 'the other Bog Incident,'" Aleu gloated, rubbing her hands together.

 _Uh-oh,_ thought Jenna, trying to think of a way to sway Aleu in the direction of silence. An idea occurred to her – one which, she hoped, might kill two birds with one stone. "I have a better idea," she suggested. "Promise to keep that story between us three, and I'll tell you another one."

Aleu knew a bargain when she heard one. "What is it?" she asked.

Jenna refused to tell until the promise had been made, then leaned in close. "I'm only telling you this because there's no guys around," she whispered, her ears up making a show of excitement. "Actually, around the time your father and I got married, I bought a swimsuit like the one you were looking at; his eyes only," she added pointedly. "One time when I was wearing it, though..."

The pup's face twisted into one of disgust as Jenna finished the sentence. "You win," she said curtly. "I'll never wear a two-piece; ever."

On the inside, Jenna smiled. "Better finish that sandwich before the guys get here," she suggested.

Aleu pushed away her half-eaten sub. "Somehow," she scowled, "I've lost my appetite."

 **Thanks for reading. :) I know a lot of people wish Jenna had been more involved in the sequels, so I tried to focus on her relationship with Aleu in this story. In fact, I would have given her a higher percentage of the attention in the story if my own mother had not so enjoyed the parts involving Balto when I tried the rough draft on her.**

 **There's more I could say, but I'll skip that and just say that if you have any feedback or maybe some experiences with your own moms you'd like to share, I'm all ears! And please sign in this time so I can respond properly.**


	3. Love Waits

**Happy Father's Day, everyone! (I know it's a week early; see the Mother's Day chapter for the reason)**

 **My thanks to everyone for continuing to read. In response to the anonymous reader, I thought that might make a nice approach. That's one of the advantages to this story having a theme rather than a continuing plot, and to having no set order to its chapters. It doesn't have any real end, and I hope you all enjoy that as much as I do or more.**

 **On that note, this chapter does kind of pick up right where the last one left off, or a little before (same time frame, different place). I realize that's a little confusing since the last chapter seemed like something from the start of summer vacation, whereas this one would make more sense toward the end or even a bit after school started. Fortunately this is more about ideas than the flow of events, so feel free to take the chronology as you will.**

"So what exactly did you want me for?" asked Kodi as he followed Dusty down the main hall of the mall.

She smiled over her shoulder at him. "Like I said, I needed a guy's opinion; yours."

"I know that," he answered, not sure if her answer made him more confident or less. _She_ might have been partial to guessing games, but honestly they drove him crazy. "You still haven't told me what it's about."

"I wanted to pick out some things for our next date, and who better to tell me what you like than you?"

This just confused Kodi all the more; Dusty usually liked to surprise him with her outfits. "We're going clothes shopping?" he asked.

"Not exactly," she told him, and turned abruptly into a store.

Kodi stopped, looked up at the sign, and understood. This store didn't sell clothes; it was a cosmetics store, and they were having a sale on perfume.

 _This,_ he thought, _could be a long day._

Fortunately for Kodi, there weren't many other dogs in the store; one or two girls browsing the shelves alone, a small gaggle over in one corner, and another guy who, like himself, looked to have been brought there by his girlfriend. The wolf-husky noted, with some relief, that none of them looked like anyone he recognized – or more to the point, like anyone who might recognize him.

"So," Dusty inquired, breaking in on his thoughts, "what kind of scents do you like?"

He shrugged. "Grass," he offered for a start. "The outdoors; that smell after a rainstorm."

She frowned. "I'm not shopping for air fresheners," she pointed out.

"What's the difference?" he asked, his confusion genuine.

Clearly not amused, she walked up to the counter with him trailing behind.

"I like the smell of my mom's flower beds," he added, hoping to compensate for his previous question. "And I like the way you smell normally."

Dusty didn't answer. "Excuse me," she asked a sales clerk behind the counter. "Do you have anything... outdoorsy? Maybe something an athlete would like."

The clerk – a swan wearing glasses – looked over the tops of her frames at Kodi. "We have something that will make you smell like a football," she offered, smirking.

"Har har," Kodi replied, wondering how it was that a guy stereotyping girls was a sexist pig, but a girl stereotyping guys was funny.

Both girls laughed, and the swan pointed a feather. "Try that aisle behind you to the right," she suggested. "Second one over from the wall."

The store, as it turned out, had handy little scratch-and-sniff stickers under the displays of each perfume. Kodi had to admit, the place did smell nice, and one or two of the stickers smelled _really_ nice.

Unfortunately, while they were perusing, someone caught up with them.

"Hey, Dusty!" came a female voice.

Both of them turned to see an afghan hound headed their way, accompanied by a small pack of other girl dogs. Sarah and Dusty had been friends for years, but things had been a little dicey between them since the school year started up. Dusty had admitted to Kodi at one point that this had a lot to do with how she had changd during her time at Camp Hawkeye. As for Kodi... well, he didn't want to be at odds with anyone, especially one of Dusty's friends, but there was something about several of Dusty's old crowd – Sarah in particular – that made him uneasy.

"Whatcha doing?" asked Sarah.

Dusty shrugged. "Nothing much; just getting Kodi's thoughts on some scents."

Kodi raised a hand and waved very self-consciously, feeling more out of place than ever.

Sarah walked over to have a look, then smirked at the ones Dusty had picked out so far. "Nice selection, girlfriend. You date at the bowling alley much?" There was no missing the snarky tone in the question. "Little advice from someone who knows: try this one." She turned to another shelf, picked up a bottle, and plunked it into the middle of Dusty's collection.

Dusty picked up the bottle and looked at it. "Midnight Passion? Thanks for the tip, but Kodi and I have ten o' clock curfews." She put the bottle back on the shelf with a decisive sound like a gavel. "I think Bella Swan is around here somewhere if you're determined to give out advice."

"Cute," Sarah snipped, her smile dropping just a little. "Come on, Dusty, you know no one's buying this whole 'Little Miss Mother Theresa' schtick."

"It's not an act," Dusty insisted. "I really have changed, and you know I was never a party girl even before this past summer."

"I know that," Sarah agreed, "but that was before you started dating an athlete." She pointed at Kodi. "No way you haven't cracked the seal on that."

Kodi could feel his face growing warm. "'That' has a name," he countered tersely, "and 'that' has better places to be than arguing about this – or being argued over."

Dusty held out an arm to block him from leaving. "Kodi, don't. I'm not going to let them push us around like this."

"Hmm," Sarah mused, seeming to regain interest. "So the Christian girl does have some fire in her after all."

While Sarah and Dusty continued to argue, Kodi stood there paralyzed. This whole matter was so out of his depth he didn't know where to start. He wanted to stand up for his girlfriend; for himself; but his mouth wouldn't open. He realized that if he turned it into an argument, it could easily dissolve into a shouting match – and while the store clerk might see things his and Dusty's way, he didn't want to humiliate her.

An idea came to him, and he reached into his pocket. As discreetly as possible, he slipped out his phone and hit the "send" button twice... then turned down the volume so anything the recipient of his call said would be inaudible to the crowd now gathering around them.

For several minutes the chatter progressed – and, like most arguments, everyone's talking outweighed their listening by a good three words to one.

"Come on, Dusty," Sarah persisted, "Don't you two ever get tired of sitting it out in the-?"

"Kodi! Dusty! There you are!"

All eyes turned to a wolf-dog headed in their direction. "I was wondering where you got to."

Kodi could have cheered. "Hi Dad," he said, trying to make it look to the other teens as if he were feigning normalcy. "Yeah, didn't Mom tell you? Dusty wanted my thoughts on a few scents."

"She mentioned it. I thought you might come here; she likes this store too." Then, as if he had only just remembered that the other teens were present, he asked, "So, what were you all talking about? Sounded pretty intense."

No one said a word.

Dusty caught onto the situation quickly. "Hey, he's been around the block," she told the others with an "I dare you" look on her face. "Anything you can say to Kodi and me, he's old enough to hear too."

The others quickly excused themselves. Balto, watching them leave, might have found it amusing if what he had managed to pick up had not been so bitterly familiar. He turned back to Kodi and Dusty, both of whom looked simultaneously relieved to have him there and embarrassed as if they were the ones caught in some wrongdoing.

"So, do I want to know what that was all about?" he asked, jerking a thumb out the entrance.

"They were-" Dusty started to say at the same moment that Kodi answered with a flat, "No." Under most circumstances, having his dad around made him feel safe and confident. Right now, however, he felt like a fool; like the bigshot rookie on a basketball team who had just botched a game-breaking play. Part of it was for his failure to speak up against their antagonism; the other part was another matter entirely.

Balto shrugged and nodded understandingly. "Good thinking with the phone call," he offered helpfully.

Dusty tilted her head. "What phone call?"

Balto laughed. "Well, the reason I knew where to look for you was that Kodi dialed me. He didn't say anything, and I guess he must have covered the speaker, but I heard enough to guess where you two had gone."

Letting out a deep – if somewhat belated – sigh of relief, Dusty turned to her boyfriend. "I could kiss you," she told him.

The "other matter entirely" spiked in Kodi's gut. "Uh, maybe this isn't the best time," he offered defensively.

Balto cracked a wry grin. "I could turn my back," he suggested.

Kodi's face grew warmer yet, and was saved from having to demure a second time by Dusty's hasty admission that she had only been kidding.

There was an awkward silence among them while the background sounds of other shoppers continued unabated. A Pomeranian decked in the uniform of the store, making her rounds, spotted them.

"Can I help you with anything?" she offered.

"No thanks," Dusty replied. "I've got everything I was looking for."

Balto glanced at the shelves and picked up a bottle. "My wife might enjoy this one," he ventured as if to justify his presence to the employee.

Kodi winced. Balto had picked up a bottle of Midnight Passion.

Kodi managed, more or less, to shrug off the unpleasant run-in with Dusty's peers as the day wore on – or so he thought before he went to sleep that night.

* * *

In his dreams, he found himself standing on what looked to be a tropical beach; pristine white sand stretching out to either side as far as he could see, salt-scented waves clear out to the horizon, and no sign of any other dogs around. Nothing broke the scene save for a small wooden shack – the kind of compact building they had called "dollhouses" at summer camp.

He had just gotten around to noticing he had a surfboard tucked under one arm when the door to the shack opened and Dusty emerged, carrying a surfboard as well. She was dressed in a swimsuit of a much starker shade of purple than the tinge in her grayish fur – of which the two-piece showed a decidedly ample area. It was the kind of bathing suit a guy could like, but for all the wrong reasons.

"You ready?" she asked him.

"Uh..." was all he could say. He tried to focus on her face, figuring that looking elsewhere was a good way to get slapped.

Dusty, however, seemed unaware of his struggle as she ran past him to the water's edge. "Come on!" she called, waving for him to come after her.

Kodi didn't know what to say. He'd never been surfing in his life, and Dusty's outfit was... well, a little distracting. "I don't know how," he protested.

She smiled. "That's the fun part. Come on, scaredy cat."

With a strangely familiar mix of fear and anticipation, he followed her out into the surf. It seemed like only a moment that he lay on his belly, kicking and paddling, before they were out among the waves. Dusty rose to her feet, and he did the same.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he asked.

"Relax," she called over her shoulder, slaloming on her board as if she and the wood were a single piece. "Just go with it."

He did, and began to find himself enjoying it. The water rushing all around him was invigorating, and he had to admit, Dusty looked pretty nice as she rode her board, swerving deftly back and forth. He wasn't sure what to make of another strange rush he felt, though he knew it was familiar.

He must have lost his focus, because suddenly the wave at his side was on top of him. He was knocked off his board and tumbled in the surf, end over end like a sock in a washing machine. Then it all stopped, and he found himself lying on his back in the sand. He had only just taken a breath when another wave hit him, dropping something heavy on his chest.

It took him a moment to get his bearings. When he did, he realized that the "something heavy" was Dusty. "Oof, she groaned, "That one was rough."

She lifted herself up with her forearms, and he was struck by the sight of her propped over him with her lower half still lying on the sand like the tail of a mermaid. The sunlight on her soaked fur, and the look on her face as she looked down at him, sent a chill down his spine.

Then he remembered where he had felt that rush, and with that knowledge came two unwelcome realities.

"Oh, man," he groaned as he awoke.

* * *

A half hour later, Kodi shook his head, feeling his still-damp fur flip around as he did and making a mental note to get it trimmed. Dusty might like fur she could play with, but track and field season was coming up soon. Also, the feeling of dampness clinging to him brought back memories of the dream, and as nice as that was he still wasn't sure how to handle it.

"Well well," came a famiiar voice behind him.

He spun to find his father leaning against the doorway and regarding him smugly. "Up early, and – gasp – doing your own laundry? You must be getting ready to move out."

Kodi would normally have appreciated the joke, but at the moment he wasn't quite in the mood. "Ha ha ha," he answered drily.

Balto's smug expression dropped. It didn't take a genius to guess the real cause of Kodi's behavior. "Was it that bad?" he asked knowingly. He didn't even have to ask; he just knew Kodi that well.

The younger wolf-husky shook his head. "No, that's not it," he admitted. "I'm just... just thinking."

"What's on your mind?" Long ago, Balto had established what he and Kodi called the "guy talk" policy: when it was just the two of them, there was no such thing as a bad question. Answers weren't a given – Balto had given his share of, "I'll tell you when you're older"s and "I need to think about that"s, and Kodi had delivered a few, "I'd rather not talk about it"s, but either of them could ask the other any question on any subject.

Kodi took a deep breath, considering the old standby, "I don't want to talk about it." He was a little reluctant to discuss this with his dad, but he knew if there was one thing he needed, it was advice. "Well, it _kind_ of has to do with the dream. See, Dusty and I were surfing... or maybe swimming, I'm not sure..." the details of the dream had begun to fade and blur, "... and a wave dumped us on the beach. She landed right on top of me, and she was wearing a bikini, and then I woke up."

"Ah." That was it: just "ah." No "Ah-ha," no "Wow;" just "ah." "And that gets you thinking...?"

Kodi looked away and stared at the clothes going around in the machine. "I just kind of wonder if maybe the others at school are right. Maybe I _am_ missing out."

Silence came from Balto, and for an awful moment Kodi wondered if maybe finally he had said something that actually made his father ashamed of him. Then Balto spoke again.

"I guess some things never change," he said thoughtfully.

Kodi huffed. "That's what you always say."

Balto came over, pulled up a chair, and sat next to him. "You mind if I take a shot in the dark at what 'the guys' are saying?"

Kodi shrugged. "Go ahead."

Balto counted off on his fingers. "They probably don't see the point in waiting..."

"Yeah."

"... and they're surprised that you don't want to at least know what it's like..."

Kodi shifted a little. "Yeah..." he said, more slowly.

"You've probably said some things that were totally innocent, but 'the guys' turned them into dirty jokes..."

"Right again," Kodi admitted.

"And if your peers are anything like mine, you've probably had your honesty and/or your sexuality questioned."

"What?!" Kodi whipped his head around at his father. "Say that again?"

"I said... never mind. I guess you haven't been hit with that one yet."

Kodi frowned. "No, but thanks for the cheerful thought."

Balto shrugged. "Maybe the schools are getting better. Did I miss anything?"

Kodi fidgeted again. "There was a remark about locking me and Dusty in a room and not letting us out until..." he trailed off. "You know what? Never..."

"I get the picture." Balto raised a hand, not looking at all happy. "I take it back; I didn't get that one until college." After a pause, he added, "Son, you should know that your mother and I are very proud of you for choosing to do things right."

"I know," Kodi sighed. "I just wish I could get it over with, you know?"

Balto thought for a minute. "Wait here," he told Kodi. "I've got something to show you."

He left the laundry room, then crossed paths with Jenna, who was fixing coffee.

"I'll be in the laundry room," he told her. With a "You know what I mean" tone, he added, "I realized it's been a while since Kodi and I had a good storytime."

"What story is it this time?" she asked, though she knew Balto would fill her in on the conversation later if it was important.

He smiled. "Ours."

When Balto came back, he had an old book in his hands. Kodi could tell at once, just by the scent, that it was old but well cared-for. The sight of a book didn't surprise him; scrap books and photo albums were almost as standard in their house as lightbulbs. Since Balto had grown up with only scant memories of his own parents, he was determined that his own posterity never have the same void. Kodi remembered the last time Uncle Boris had stopped by, when Balto had shown him the summer camp shots recently added to Kodi's own personal archive. However, he couldn't recall ever seeing the red, faux leather cover before.

"Which one is this?" Kodi wanted to know.

Balto sat down and opened it across his knees. "Well, it doesn't really have a title, but it's more or less about your mother and me."

Kodi looked on as Balto opened to a page marked, "First Date" in Jenna's flowing script. "You were taking pictures back then?" he asked.

"Not exactly," Balto admitted. "Around the time we got engaged, Uncle Boris said we should reenact some of our earlier moments – same places, same clothes, all that. I have to admit, it was kind of fun."

"Uh-huh." Kodi's eyes fell on a snapshot of Balto sitting on Grandpa Watson's couch across from Grandpa – well, not Grandpa back then – who sat calmly in his usual chair tinkering with some kind of long object. "What's that Grandpa's working on?" he asked.

"Uh..." Balto coughed. "That would be a rifle."

The look on Kodi's face was indescribable. "You're joking."

"No, no I'm not. He really did work on a rifle while I was waiting to pick Jenna up for our first date – but that wasn't the part I was looking to show you. This is." He pointed to a piece of paper, creased nearly in half, in the corner of the page opposite the rifle photo.

Kodi perused the hand-written paper. "A list of rules?" he asked.

"He gave that to me that evening too."

The red husky shook his head. "I thought lists like this only appeared on T-shirts."

Balto laughed. "Well, let's just say I think I know who came up with those shirts. Anyway, he gave me that list, told me to put it someplace where I wouldn't lose it, and asked me every time I took Jenna out if I still had it."

Admittedly, the rules didn't seem too draconian to Kodi. On the other hand, it was hard to find one that his classmates wouldn't consider downright ridiculous. "Did you actually follow all of these?"

"We did, and it wasn't much more popular then than I'm guessing it is now. Doing things right is hardly ever easy."

Kodi shook his head. Even basic stuff like not sleeping together had made him and Dusty a laughing stock already. He didn't even want to think about what his peers would say if he tried to live by the whole list, and he said so.

"I'm not saying you have to live by the whole thing to the letter," Balto replied, "although I'd have a hard time finding anything in there that didn't benefit me when it was my turn. We've done our best to raise you into someone who can make the right decision with as few rules as possible. We can't tell you what to do your whole life."

The words "make the right decision" brought a knot of worry to Kodi's stomach. He knew well enough that being responsible for his own choices could be a lot less fun than it sounded. "So it's up to me and Dusty whether we kiss or not?" he ventured, noting that this was one of the "don't"s on the paper.

"Yeah, pretty much." Balto's face took on a slightly worried expression. "Have you...?"

"No," Kodi replied, though he would have been lying if he'd said he'd never thought about it. "Not yet."

"Well, just because Jenna and I followed that rule doesn't mean you have to – although it did make things more interesting when we finally-"

Kodi cleared his throat.

"Sorry. Listen, before I say something that embarrasses us both, let me just point you to something towards the end." He leafed through the pages past more pictures, some of them bearing meanings Kodi couldn't begin to guess at. "Ah, here it is." Balto pointed to another copy of the list. This one, however, had been torn down the middle.

"Did you rip it?" asked Kodi.

"No. Your grandfather gave me that copy the day Jenna and I got married. He said now he only wanted me to follow two rules."

Kodi looked up from the page questioningly. Balto just smiled. "Turn the page over."

The page, as it turned out, was transparent; both pieces of paper had been laminated. On the other side, Kodi found writing on the backs of the torn pieces:

I trust you now.

Take good care of her.

"See, son," Balto explained, "your classmates and Dusty's might be having a good time now, but unless they start using their heads they'll never get to enjoy that." He pointed to the two rules, and the wedding shots on the next page. "I got to that point because I proved myself to him – and I'll admit, it wasn't easy." His right hand strayed up to the back of his head; the site, as Kodi knew, of recurring headaches. "In fact, some of it I hope you never have to deal with. The point, though, is that what I've got now was worth the whole wait: a family I can be proud of, a beautiful wife, in-laws who trust and respect me... and under all of that, a clean conscience. I didn't have to drag a lot of dirty laundry into married life or parenthood – and I pray every night that you never do either."

A knock sounded at the door. "You almost done in there?" came Jenna's voice. "There's too much breakfast out here for me to handle alone."

Balto laughed. "I forgot to mention her cooking." He patted Kodi on the back. "You good, son?"

Kodi flipped the page back over and studied the rules. "Yeah, I'm good," he agreed, closing the book and getting up. As Balto reached for the doorknob, he added, "Dad?"

"Hm?" Balto turned, and wasn't particularly surprised as Kodi drew him into a hug.

"Thanks."

The wolf-dog smiled and patted his son on the back. "Anytime, Kodi. Anytime."

 **And thus we conclude another chapter of "What's Love Anyway?" In case anyone's wondering, I'd have to say that yes, some elements in the chapter were pretty extreme for me. I hope, however, that my readers will be sufficiently inspired and edified to justify that.**

 **Please read and review! If you have any suggestions for later chapters, don't hesitate to ask.**

 **btw, it may be quite a while before the next update; I have no definite plans for this project until Christmas at this time. Please take the time to check out some of my other projects, and stay tuned for an upcoming one: "Something Stinks."**


	4. Love Gives

" **And you'll always miss her. But she'll always be with you as long as you remember the things she taught you. In a way, you'll never be apart – for you are still a part of each other."**

 **Old Rooter, _The Land Before Time_**

Snow blanketed the neighborhood, bathed in the pastel auroras of Christmas lights and yard decorations or casting its own cold, pure glow in the light of the moon. Against this backdrop, a lone car drove through the quiet streets, its interior ringing with the karaoke of Christmas; 'Sleigh Ride' in this case.

Balto and Jenna were, for a change, in the back seat. Kodi drove with a grin, and Aleu – riding shotgun – did her best not to acknowledge her parents as they used the oportunity to heed the song's 'prompts' to hold hands or snuggle.

"Gross," Aleu muttered.

Kodi laughed and elbowed his sister. "Oh, lighten up. If Mom and Dad weren't so lovey-dovey, you wouldn't be here."

Aleu rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "It's still gross," she argued.

Balto laughed. "We just do it to get some idea when we should start worrying."

"Worrying about what?" asked Aleu. "Me liking boys? Fat chance."

Jenna shook her head in amusement at her husband's satisfied expression. "You can't keep her young forever," she reminded him.

"I can die trying" he argued.

Kodi just laughed.

The jolly mood lasted until they reached their house and found a police car parked outside. "What in the world?" asked Balto as Kodi pulled to a stop.

"What's going on?" called Kodi, opening the window.

A bloodhound approached them. "Sorry, folks," he said in a deep bass voice. Neighbor called about a suspicious drop-off on your porch, so I was sent over to check it out."

"Suspicious dropoff?" asked Jenna as she and Balto climbed out.

"Yeah, someone left this package on your porch, and someone watching thought it looked fishy."

The whole family exchanged a look. None of them said anything, but they were all thinking of the same neighbor: an Afghan Hound some years older than Jenna who was always trying to stir things up and never looking for facts. She had once tried to convince Balto that Jenna was up to something when she saw Jenna arrive home with a male husky while the wolf-dog was away. A closer inspection might have clued her in that the male husky was, in fact, Kodi.

"Anyway," the officer went on, "I gave it a thorough sniff-check, and there's no sign of explosives or anything else to worry about. I assume a Kodi Williams does live here?"

"Yeah, that's me," Kodi affirmed, and for his words received a box carefully wound in plastic wrap. A little Christmas-y label adorned the top, reading, "To: Kodi Williams. From:Eddie Larou."

The officer tipped his hat cordially, bade them Merry Christmas, and left.

"Well," said Aleu, "now that that's done, can we open whatever it is inside? I'm freezing."

Once the family had hung up their winter gear, Kodi took a pocketknife from the junk drawer and sliced the plastic wrap off the package. Then, curious as all get-out, he opened the box while everyone leaned in to see.

The first item was a piece of cloth – one which, when unraveled, proved to be an old and patched-up scarf.

"Yuck," said Aleu. "Who gave you _that,_ your worst enemy?"

Though hard to pin down, the scarf looked familiar, somehow. Kodi put it aside, puzzled, and inspected the other contents. There was also a pair of mittens about Aleu's size and in almost as bad shape as the scarf, one tucked at each end of the box. Nestled between them were...

"Books," Kodi announced, lifting one out. It was old, dog-eared, and looked like something had spattered on the edges of the pages at some point. "Robinhound Crusoe." Kodi pulled out another. "Be A Wolf, and... hm, this one's tied shut."

"No onder," Balto noted. "The spine's broken."

Puzzled, Kodi put the tied book aside and opened another to the front page. Then he just stared as if he'd seen a ghost.

"What is it?" asked Aleu. "A threatening note?"

Jenna stared at her daughter. "What have you been watching over at your friends' houses?" she demanded.

Kodi said nothing, but turned the book around and handed it to his father. "Dad, I think you should take a look at this."

Balto took the book, then stared in silence. "Oh," he said at last. "That explains a lot."

"What? What is it?" pressed Aleu.

Balto turned the book to face Aleu and Jenna, holding it with care to avoid losing pages. Inside the front cover were five words: four printed, and one scrawled in sloppy, child-like handwriting.

'This book belongs to DINGO.'

When they read it, Aleu's eyes popped. "Wait? Dingo? As in _that_ Dingo?"

Dingo had been Aleu's other brother – the one she never met. He had died years before she was born.

As stunned as she was, it didn't take long for Aleu's sense of inquiry to catch up with her sense of awe. "But how did a bunch of Dingo's stuff end up in a box from...?" she trailed off, trying to remember what it had said on the label.

"The Larous," Kodi replied, half-numb. "That's going to take some explaining. Just let me get this box unpacked first." He began removing books with meticulous care barely controlling his haste, as if he were in a crumbly mineshaft and had just spotted some treasure further down. "I want to see if – huh, they replaced that book, I guess – I want to see if it's... still... here."

He trailed off, lifting out an old stuffed bear. Its eyes were mismatched, faded buttons, and it had clearly been ripped and lovingly mended a number of times, but there was no doubt in Kodi's mind.

"It's Ruggles," he said weakly. He held the bear at arms length for a long moment, then hugged it to his chest and broke down crying.

It was some time before Kodi pulled himself together, and during that time Jenna busied herself fixing some soup. Balto, meanwhile, thought it would be a good time to dig out some long-unopened photo albums.

As for Aleu... she mostly just sat there feeling like she might explode.

"Okay!" she said at last when they all re-gathered and Kodi looked like himself again. Well, himself as a total mess, but as far as Aleu was concerned he always looked like a mess.

"Okay," she said again, "is someone going to tell me what this is all about?"

Balto and Jenna both looked at Kodi, wordlessly asking if he was okay. He nodded, then paused. He'd been so busy weeping over the bear, he hadn't noticed a letter in the bottom of the box – or the top, rather, since he had opened it upside-down. He lifted it out, read it silently, and squeezed his eyes shut tight.

"You're not going to start crying again, are you?" asked Aleu, trying not to let on how worried she was. Kodi threw a lot of passion into just about anything, but breakdowns like this were really unlike him.

He shook his head. "I'm fine. Just... just need a minute." He held out the hand-written letter. "Here, maybe this'll help."

Aleu took the paper, briefly considered whether to read it out loud or silently, then decided to go with out loud.

The letter read as follows:

 _Dear Kodi,_

 _Remember me? You might not, because it's been a while. Years ago, your family helped us out bigtime. I guess you remember the rest from this bear, or maybe not, but I'll never forget what yourfamily did for us – andespecially for me._

 _Anyway, things are better now. I'm eleven, for one thing. Also, Dad managed to get another job, and even though money's been tight we've saved up enough to move into a house of our own again. Good thing too, because I have a little brother now. They named him Balto after your dad, which is pretty cool. I thought about givng him... well, the bear you gave me, but when I saw it as we were packing, I thought it was time to give it back. Besides, Mom and Dad got Balto a new bear for Christmas, so I convinced them to go over to your place._

 _I hope we can find you guys, and that everything's going well with you like it is with us. We pray for you and your family every Christmas._

 _Merry Christmas, and thanks again._

 _God Bless You,_

 _Nick_

 _P.S. Sorry if Ruggles is a little messed-up. We had a pest control issue, and they kind of got to him, but Mom patched him up._

Aleu lowered the letter and squinted at the bear. She hadn't noticed before, but it did look as if the bear had been damaged – torn practically in half, really – and meticulously stitched back together. Mrs. Larou must have been a good seamstress, though, because the pup was pretty sure she never would have spotted it if she hadn't been looking for it.

"Okay, so you helped this family out. How did they get a bunch of Dingo's stuff?"

The parents looked at Kodi uncertainly. "Do you want to tell it, or should we?" asked Balto.

Kodi coughed in reply. "Eh, I'll be alright." He leaned back in his chair and gazed up at the ceiling. "It was about... four years after Dingo died, I think. We'd mostly gotten past it, but at Christmas..." he let out a breath that sounded like a painful gasp, closing his eyes. "Oh, Christmas was the hardest."

"Why?"

"Because Dingo loved Christmas. I mean _loved_ it. He'd go crazy... well, he was always full of energy, but when Christmas came, he would just go nuts. 'Whirlwind,' Dad used to call him. Remember, Dad?"

"How could I forget?" laughed Balto, a little sadly. "He was always coming up with something new – like when he talked us all into singing carols dressed as superheroes."

Aleu snorted. "Why?"

"Because we had so much fun dressing up on Halloween, he thought Christmas should have it too."

Oddly enough, Aleu decided that made sense.

Jenna laughed. "I'll never forget how you looked dressed as Iron Mutt," she told Kodi.

"Yeah," he laughed. "With the armor on over my snowsuit, I looked more like Pig Hero 6."

Everyone chuckled a little at that, but it died away quickly. Not because sadness cut it off, but just... well, nothing.

"He looked so cute dressed as Thor," Jenna recalled. "Singing the third king's line, was it?"

Kodi nodded. He didn't like to think about that: his brother singing, 'Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume/ Breathes a life of gathering doom.'

That Christmas had been Dingo's last. Kodi did his best not to draw a connection, but the irony made him want to throw up.

"It was also Dingo's idea to build a stable for the manger scene out of deadfall wood," Balto remembered. He had brought that tradition back for Dingo's memory, though it had taken him years to bring himself to do it, and Kodi years more to find the heart to join him at it.

"So," asked Aleu, "what does all this have to do with the bear?"

Kodi sighed. "Well, after Dingo died, we eventually gave away a lot of his stuff – his bed, things like that. The more personal things, like his favorite clothes, books, and toys, we kept in that old trunk in the corner." He pointed to the old box, now used for odds and ends. "Then came that Christmas night, a few years after Dingo died."

In his mind's eye, Kodi relived the events as he told them; every word, every gesture, every expression.

"Dad came home late from work with a strange family." He could almost see them walking in the door – a mom, a dad, and a pup five years old. They looked exhausted."

" _Balto! Where have you...?" Jenna had been all set to launch into a more-worried-than-angry semi-lecture, but when three figures followed her husband in, the words died in her throat. "What in the world?"_

 _Balto busied himself helping the visitors out of their coats. "Sorry for the surprise," he told his wife._

"They had run into some car trouble, so Dad invited them over until someone cold come help."

"" _What kind of trouble?" asked Kodi, who knew his dad was good with cars. "Can you fix it?"_

 _Balto coughed a little. "Well, I'm no mechanic – and it would take a heck of a mechanic to take care of the Dutch Elm kind of car trouble."_

" _Your husband was kind enough to offer us a lift and the use of your phone," the wife added. She looked kind of blue in the face._

" _Right this way," added Balto, beckoning to the father._

"Mom insisted on getting them something to drink – although she practically had to shove it down their throats."

" _You three must be freezing. I'll get you some soup and something to drink."_

 _The visiting mother looked uneasy. "No, we're fine. We don't want to-"_

" _Your lips are blue," Jenna cut her off. "Now have a seat. Kodi, come help me."_

 _Kodi obediently helped his mother throw together some beef stew and lemon ginger tea, which they presented to the visitors. The father was as reluctant as his wife, but the son ate and drank without a word._

"Apparently they had run into some kind of mess and were going to live with relatives."

" _I'd rather not discuss it," the father, whose name was Dennis, protested._

 _Balto met this with an understanding nod. He didn't say anything, but he knew how hard it could be accepting help – like one was effectively saying, 'I'm not good enough.'_

" _Is there anything we can do?" asked Jenna, her heart going out to the three. It was like those scenes on TV of kids starving in Africa, but this wasn't on TV._

" _We'll be alright," Dennis answered._

 _Kodi was so preoccupied watching the grown-ups talk that he didn't notice what the pup was doing until the pup's mother, Sarah, let out a bark._

" _Eddie, stay out of that!"_

 _The pup had discovered the trunk in the corner full of Dingo's things, and had emerged with the most prized item in the box: Ruggles. Kodi was in front of him in a flash._

" _Put it back," he ordered, bristling._

 _Eddie hugged the bear to him, looking forlorn._

" _Put it back, son," Dennis ordered. "This isn't our... our house."_

 _Balto raised a paw. "It's alright," he said quietly. "I'm sure he won't hurt it."_

" _But...!" Kodi protested, feeling violated. It was as if the pup had profaned a shrine or a temple._

" _Kodi," Balto countered, giving him a grave look, "it's only for a little while."_

 _Kodi felt like his father had just punched him in the stomach, but the look on that pup's face did him in. "Go ahead," he said quietly. "Sorry I yelled at you."_

 _An uncomfortable silence followed, but Jenna managed to break it off by engaging the parents in conversation. Kodi had a harder time with the pup, but finally managed to engage him in a game of Chinese Checkers. He had just shown Eddie how to make a 'bridge' across the board with his marbles when a horn honked outside._

 _Mr. Larou looked out the window and cleared his throat. "Well, there's our ride." He looked with heartfelt appreciation at the hosts. "Thank you for everything."_

" _I just wish we could do more," Balto replied._

 _The parents rose and got their things. Eddie lingered by the game board, still silent, still holding onto the stuffed animal._

" _Come on, Eddie," called Dennis gently. "Put the bear away and get your coat on. We've got a long way to go."_

" _I'll take it," Kodi offered. "You shouldn't keep them waiting."_

 _Eddie stared at the bear for a long time before, with great reluctance, handing it over. A father in a war zone handing his child to a helicopter pilot could not have looked more pitiable._

Kodi swallowed hard. "Suddenly... I just knew it was what Dingo would want," he explained.

 _As the family made for the door, Kodi ran after them. "Hey, wait up!"_

 _The parents looked down at Kodi as he all but shoved the bear into Eddie's arms. "Take care of him, okay?"_

" _No!" protested Mr. Larou. "Listen, we're very grateful for all you did, but we're not taking handouts."_

" _It's not a handout," Kodi insisted, though he wasn't sure what that meant. "It's a Christmas present."_

" _But-"_

 _Balto halted the protest by placing a hand on Mr. Larou's shoulder. "Kodi," he said, kneeling down to look his son in the eye, "are you sure about this? I mean, I'm proud of you, but... I know how much Ruggles means to you."_

 _Kodi paused for a long moment, hit by a wave of reluctance as his id caught up with his super-ego. Then, drawing his mouth into a tight line, he nodded. "We don't need him anymore," he answered, "but they do."_

 _Balto looked like he might cry. "Close that door a moment, please," he told the Larous. Then he returned to the living room, hooking his wife's waist with a gentle hand and drawing her after him. They held a brief, muted conference, then returned to the front hall – bearing between them most of Dingo's old things._

 _The Larous' eyes popped open. "Oh, we couldn't..." protested the missus._

" _Absolutely not," added Mr. Larou. "Look, we can't even return the favors you've done us already, and..."_

" _Please," Jenna cut him off. She looked like she might cry, but she was smiling. "These things belonged to our other son, and if... if he were here, he'd be doing just what Kodi is doing now.."_

 _Balto nodded. "It would be like having him with us one last time. If you really want to thank us for the help, then just... just take it."_

 _The visiting parents looked at one another, and then at their son, who was hugging the bear and looking up at the gifts in wonder. The treasures of the Magi couldn't have held more wonder for him._

 _At last Dennis sighed. "We'll need some bags to carry it all."_

 _It took about fifteen minutes before the Larous bundled into the car, loaded with books, items of clothing, toys, a tin or two of Christmas cookies... and one well-worn old teddy bear. Kodi could see Eddie's eyes shining as they closed themselves in, and had to fight to keep from crying._

" _Merry Christmas!" called Balto and Jenna, waving and sounding a little choked up._

 _Kodi waved too. "Merry Christmas!"_

 _They stood on the porch until the car had pulled out of sight. The first thing Balto did after closing the door was to pick up his son and hug him until the pup could hardly breathe._

" _That was great, Kodi," he said, leaking tears into the pup's fur. "I'm proud of you."_

"Wow," said Aleu, back in the present. "So you gave all that stuff away?"

Kodi nodded, rubbing his eyes.

"He wasn't around to enjoy the stuff anymore, and even if he had been, he would have given them to the kid just like that. I hated to let go, but... I don't know. It was the right thing, and it even made Dingo feel closer, somehow. Like there was still a bit of him hanging around, even if his stuff was gone."

Balto and Jenna exchanged a warm smile. Each knew what the other was thinking: that _Kodi_ was that little piece of his brother. As long as Kodi stayed good, decent, and generous, some part of Dingo would always live on.

Kodi stared at the bear in his hands, lovingly brushing his thumbs over the threadbare fuzz. He'd never dreamed he'd be holding this toy again, and for just one moment, it felt like he was looking not at some scratched-up old button eyes, but at his brother's sparking, clear, lively ones.

Jenna walked over to the old trunk in the corner. "I've been meaning to sort these things out," she said, removing a number of odds and ends which had accumulated in there over the years. "Kodi, why don't you...?" she stopped, seeing that her son had already become engrossed in his late brother's copy of Moby Dog.

"Sorry," he amended, realizing he'd been addressed. "Were you saying something?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing." An idea came to her. "Aleu, why don't you pick one of the books? Maybe Balto would be willing to read us a chapter before bedtime."

That night, Aleu slipped downstairs to the living room. Normally she would have done so to look at the tree or try to guess what her presents were, but not this Christmas. This time she headed straight for the old trunk, slowly eased open the lid, and took out that old patchwork bear. She looked at it for a long time. It was pretty silly-looking, and probably wouldn't fetch a dollar at a tag sale, but... it was hard to describe. It _felt_ like love, the way the kitchen did when she and her mother baked cookies, or like the living room did when they all decorated the tree. The words "baked in" came to mind.

She remembered again what Kodi had said. _'He would have given them to the kid just like that.'_

 _I guess if Dingo would have given his favorite toy to a total stranger,_ she thought, _then he_ must _have been nice._ She had figured Dingo was okay from how everyone seemed to miss him, but now – holding something real and solid – it all came together somehow.

With a smile, she tucked the bear under one arm and went back upstairs to bed.

 _Someday,_ she thought as she drifted off to sleep, _I'll finally get to meet this brother everyone talks about._ She snuggled down deeper under the covers. _But first I want to make someone happy like he did._

 **In the immortal words of TobyMac, "This year, reach out and love somebody."**

 **Merry Christmas**


	5. Love Remembers

Having known a number of veterans, including my late grandfather, it has been on my mind for some time to write a tribute to them and the hardships they endured. This chapter is far less than what I wanted to give them, but consider it a testimony to all who have fought and suffered in the name of liberty and justice for all.

 **"We risked our lives for _your freedom!_ "**

 **Unidentified, _Liberty's Kids_**

There are few paradoxes more stark, or more common, than a sunny day in a cemetary. The bright sun, carrying the promise and power of life, shining down on the dreary gray and white stones attesting to life's inexorable termination.

Between these two contrasting testimonials, on a path of fine, gray gravel, strode a pair of canines: a brownish-gray wolf-dog male with yellow eyes, and a hazel-eyed female husky with red and cream fur. Neither wore particularly cheery clothes, as befitted the purpose of their errand.

"It's hard to believe he's been gone two years," said the wolf-dog to his wife, speaking heavily. She said nothing in answer, but hung an arm from his far shoulder across his back and leaned into him, comforting him with her mere presence. The object of their errand was an old goose named Boris, who had been Balto's godfather and guardian after the deaths of his parents. Boris had been a dear friend to both of the couple, and his passing – brought on by a sudden and untreatable lung disease – had hit them both bitterly.

As they rounded a bend in the path, they saw a dark figure crouched – no, kneeling – in front of a grave. He was jet black, as dark as his shirt with only his faded blue jeans to lend his outline any color at all. His shoulders were shaking, and it was clear not only from his scent but also from the outline of his chiseled head and powerful body that he was a wolf – and an uncommonly fit one, at that.

Balto put a hand out to stop his wife from continuing. "Better give him his space," he whispered.

His words must have caught the ears of the wolf, for he whirled around and leaped to his feet in a single flud motion almost too quick to see. "Who's there?!" he demanded.

Facing toward them, he was even more impressive – and unapproachable – to look at. He was taller than Balto, with gleaming white teeth just showing through his parted lips, yet seeming all the larger against his dark face. His fur bristled outward, and a sngle yellow eye gleamed out while the other hid behind a patch. Around his neck hung a chain adorned by a pair of ovular metal tags.

Balto took a step back, moving Jenna away from this aggressive stranger in the proccess. "We're sorry to disturb you, sir," he replied, trying not to let his voice betray his unease. "We were just passing by."

Strangely enough, the black wolf relaxed and lowered his head a little. "Oh. No, I think it's me who should be sorry. I'm... I'm not myself lately."

Jenna, evidently growing bolder, pushed her husband's arm down and stepped around him. "Are you alright?" she asked gently.

The black wolf turned away. "Yeah, just... just..." he lowered his face into his hands and began to sob.

If there was one thing Jenna never could stand, it was the sight of someone weeping. "What's wrong?" she persisted, striding toward him.

"Jenna, wait!" hissed Balto, trying to catch up with his wife. There was a whiff of crazy about the stranger, and while it was more an instinctive reaction than anything else Balto's judgment still rebelled against letting his wife gt near someone who might be hostile.

Jenna, however, broke into a jog and was at the wolf's side in a moment. "What's wrong?" she pressed, laying one hand on his shoulder and the other on his back.

He pulled away. "Just leave me alone," he sobbed. "I'm sure you didn't come here to see me." Biting his lip for a moment, he added, "Though by rights I _should_ be a resident here."

The couple both jerked back at this. It was clear enough by the wolf's tone that he meant every syllable. A glance between the two affirmed that neither of them would move until they knew what was going on here. Balto glanced downward and tapped his pocket meaningfully, then raised his hand just enough to make a 'phone' sign. By this he meant to signal that Jenna should be ready to call the authorities if the wolf turned suicidal.

The bit of miming done, Balto came around to the stranger's side. "My name's Balto," he offered, extending a hand.

There was a tense silence before any answer came. "Todd," the wolf answered. "Todd Moonbeamer." Grasping the tags around his neck, he added, "Former army sergeant."

Jenna, by that time, had been sensible enough to look at the tombstone which was obviously at the center of Todd's distress. It bore an army star unside a horseshoe mark, the name 'Andrew Stallone,' and the epitaph 'Beloved husband, father, and soldier.' The date of death was only three months past.

"My name's Jenna," she introduced herself. "Was Andrew...?"

Todd nodded, sinking wearily to his knees. "A friend," he answered. "Almost a brother to me. And I'd rather not talk about it, but I suppose you'll worry that if I don't I'll go home and blow my brains out." When neither of them said anything to this, he went on. "Andrew and I were soldiers together, all the way back to boot camp. I almost washed out of basic training, but he convinced the sergeant to let him work with me in our free time. I asked him why later, and he said he just felt it was the right thing to do."

Pausing to sniff and rub his eyes with a forearm, the soldier continued, "He was just... just that kind of a horse. He coached me on and on, and even after I got my feet under me he kept after me to keep up my training. He didn't even mind when I got promoted ahead of him; he clapped louder than any of the others. I never forgot that, and when I was put in charge of a unit, I made sure to ask for him to be one of them. He was the best friend a wolf could ask for. It was like... well, it felt like we were twins who had been separated at birth. I know that's crazy, but that's how it was."

 _Not as crazy as you might think,_ Balto thought, reflecting on his goose foster father.

"He was even there when I found out... when I found out about my cubs."

"Your cubs?" echoed Jenna.

Todd nodded. "We were in the mess hall, and I had stopped to pick up the mail from home. I didn't want to wait until I got back to the barracks to read it, so I read as I ate. It had the usual stuff, and then the last paragraph... well, it was off. She said that she had something to tell me, and that she'd wanted to tell me when I came home on leave again but couldn't keep it back."

Jenna could guess where this was going. It sounded much the same as she had felt when she had news for Balto.

"Honestly, I was petrified. I thought she was going to say she was leaving me for someone else, and then... then came the last two words. I was so shocked I must have read them five or six times before I could think of anything else. By then it was too late."

"Too late for what?" asked Balto.

The poor old veteran was somehow laughing through his tears. "Andrew saw the look on my face and stole a peek at the letter. Before I could say anything, he jumped up on the table, clopped his hooves on it, and called out to the entire mess hall that I was a dad. He even yelled over to the general that he and I would both like a leave of absence."

"Both of you?" echoed the couple together.

Todd nodded. "Yeah, both of us. Me because my wife was pregnant and I'd want to be with her; his because his wife was _getting_ pregnant and he wanted to be with her."

It would have been hilarious if the sharing of it hadn't obviously been so painful for Todd. Jenna was rady to tell him h could stop if he wanted to, but his mouth was like a break in a dam; it couldn't stop until it had emptied itself entirely.

"I really lit into him for that one later," he admitted, "but I got over it. Later... later on I even asked him if he and his wife would be the godparents. I couldn't think of anyone in the world I wanted more for that... but he said he couldn't. He told me that, as a military dad himself, he knew that anyone I called on to help me raise my children should be someone out of harm's way. Someone I could depend on in case... well, in case anything ever happened." He stared at the ground, shaking his head. "He just had to be right about that.

"After a few more missions, I let him talk me into resigning from the army. He said he'd been meaning to do it himself so he could be with his family, and convinced me that the extra benefits of another five years weren't worth missing the first word, first steps, and all those Christmases and birthdays. We put in our paperwork, haggled with the higher-ups, and managed to talk our way down to one last mission to take out an enemy outpost."

No one needed to ask what had become of that mission. The eye patch and the gravestone said all anyone could have asked for, and the date on the latter testified to years of the poor wolf struggling to even get so far as visiting his friend's grave. Balto hung back in uncertainty, but Jenna shifted forward to her knees and just held Todd, letting him soak her shoulder with tears. Then Balto, emboldened by his wife's dismissal of propriety, came around and put an arm across the soldier's shoulders.

None of them even heard the approaching steps on the path. The interloper's shadows was all but upon them before any of them sensed another presence.

"Thank you for coming, Todd."

Startled, they pretty nearly knocked heads as they looked up, finding themselves face to face with a mare and three colts. The colts stared at them solemnly, and the mare wore a sad smile on her face.

"Mrs. Stallone!" stammered Todd Moonbeamer, looking as if he'd seen a ghost. He hastily pried himself away from his comforters. "I'll go now."

"Wait!" cried the mare, snatching him by the arm as he tried to slip past. "Wait. Andrew always said you knew how to take things like a man. Is that true?"

Todd went slack. "Yes."

"Then turn around and listen," she intructed.

Balto felt the need to speak up on behalf of the veteran. "Mrs. Stallone, he..."

"My mother is talking," interrupted the oldest colt.

Mrs. Stallone glanced reprovingly at her son, then turned back to Todd. "I always wondered when you'd turn up around here. From all that Andrew said in his letters, I expected it to happen sooner or later. I was always a little worried I'd be somewhere else when you came."

Todd looked ill. "Mrs. Stallone, I'm so sorry I didn't go to the funeral. I just couldn't... not after what I did."

She seemed to consider that for a moment. "What did you do?"

It was more than the wolf could take. "I led him to his _death!"_ he exclaimed. "I was in charge of that last mission, and thanks to me, Andrew and six other soldiers-!"

"Stop," she cut him off. When his mouth was closed, she looked him in the eye. "You didn't lead him to his death, Todd. He chose to join the army, and he always told me that even if he hadn't been assigned to your unit, he would have asked the general to put him in it."

Todd looked at the ground. "He trusted me too much, then."

"Maybe he did, but it wasn't a matter of trust. He respected you. He never took it for granted that he'd make it back from the army. Neither did I, and it was painful for all four of us, but he felt that he was needed in the army and I supported that decision. He chose to risk his life, and he chose to do it with you. That's why I don't blame you for what happened, and I know he doesn't either. He army people told me what happened, and I know the whole story. He chose to risk his life. He chose to give it up. So I don't blame you."

She ducked her head down, catching his gaze eye to eye. "Mr. Moonbeamer, my husband used his life the best that he could. He loved the Lord, he loved his country, and he loved our children and me. You still have that chance. If you want to honor my husband's memory, then do it by living your life the way he would want."

Todd's shoulders shook, and he dropped to his knees with his paws to the ground, nearly throwing the mare over backwards. "I... I don't..."

"You know it's possible," she urged, kneeling with him. "It'll take time, and you can't do it alone, but you don't have to let your life end here. I know full well that Andrew wouldn't want that."

Balto and Jenna hung back, waiting fervently on the wolf's reply. At last he steeled himself, looked his comforter in the eyes, and whispered two words.

"Thank you."

 _ **According to a study by the VA, 20 of our veterans kill themselves... daily.**_

 _ **This 4th of July, let us remember the cost of our freedom, and reach out to those who have paid for it so dearly.**_

 **I have received a question or two as to whether this story is set in the Zootopia universe. It isn't, but I decided it would be a good place to bring in my yet-to-be-revealed Zootopia character, Todd Moonbeamer. Some of you may recognize that name, based on 9/11 hero Todd Beamer. This wolf will be appearing eventually in my story "Something Stinks," and possibly starring on a side project of his own. And, while his story didn't quite follow the course of his namesake's, there will be some action of the kind as the story unfolds.**

 **The name of Todd's brother in arms, Andrew Stallone, was inspired by the song "Riding with Private Malone."**


End file.
